Hedgehog-friendly gardening

Despite being one of Britain’s best-loved mammals, hedgehogs are in alarming decline. Nearly half of the UK population has been lost in just 13 years. Previously a widespread garden visitor, this nocturnal native is now classed as vulnerable to extinction in the UK, with fewer than 900,000 individuals left – down from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s.

Contributing factors include habitat loss, invertebrate declines, road traffic and more intensive farming practices, with rural populations particularly in trouble. Sadly, hedgehogs are also very vulnerable to accidents on roads and in gardens, with estimated annual road casualty figures equal to around a quarter of the total UK hedgehog population.

• Are there hedgehogs in my area? View interactive map

To make your garden hedgehog-friendly, the first step is to remove any hazards and ensure tasks such as strimming are carried out in a hedgehog-aware way. Once you have a safe environment, there are several ways you can attract hedgehogs into your garden to support and enjoy these adorable mammals.

Give hedgehogs a helping hand with these hedgehog-friendly gardening tips from RHS Senior Wildlife Specialist Helen Bostock.

How to make your garden safe for hedgehogs

1. Always check before strimming

Always check the whole area carefully before strimming, and cut long grass with care. Strimmers are one of the biggest causes of fatal or severely injuring hedgehog accidents, so even if you haven’t noticed hedgehogs in your garden, always check thoroughly before cutting long grass. Be aware that this habitat can also be full of other creatures such as amphibians and smaller mammals.

If you have a robotic mower, check with the manufacturer that it has good safety precautions for preventing injury to hedgehogs. Find out more

Hedgehogs also like to take refuge in

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

Thousands of hedgehogs suffer strimmer-related accidents each year

2. Make water safe 

While hedgehogs are good swimmers, they will tire if they can’t find an escape. Cover any drains with lids, and fit any steep-sides holes with a ramp to prevent these short-legged mammals from falling into a trap. Also fix a wildlife ramp into any steep-sided garden ponds so that hedgehogs can clamber to safety if they fall in.

• How to make a wildlife pond

3. Be bonfire aware

A bonfire pile seems like a five star hotel for a hibernating hedgehog, as well as attracting other wildlife such as frogs and newts. There are many more environmentally friendly ways of disposing of or re-using garden waste, including making habitat piles and dead hedges.

However, if you do decide to have a bonfire, wait until just before lighting to make the bonfire pile, or deconstruct, move and reconstruct the pile prior to lighting, checking through carefully for any sleepy hedgehogs. Then light from just one corner to give any remaining small wildlife an escape route.

Hedgehogs find quiet spots to hibernate from October or November through to March or April

4. Remove hazards

Do a litter loop of your garden, removing any potential hazards that can entangle or ensnare hedgehogs and other wildlife. Loose plastic netting, old plastic compost bags and bailer

Twine is a soft, fine loosely woven string treated with preservatives for outdoor use. Used for tying in climbers and other plants to supports.

5. Avoid non-organic slug pellets

Dig around in the back of the garage or shed to make sure you don’t have any old metadehyde-based slug pellets lurking there. These are now banned due to their high toxicity to wildlife, so must be disposed of safely at your nearest recycling centre.

Slugs and snails have many benefits in the garden, so it’s best to tolerate a level of damage by the minority species that do feed on live plants. Though not a mainstream food source, they may sometimes be consumed by hedgehogs if there is little else available. In this event, any toxicity from slug pellets present in the slugs or snails would be passed on.

• Managing slugs and snails

How to attract hedgehogs into your garden

1. Make a hedgehog highway

2. Provide water

A constant supply of clean, fresh water is invaluable for many garden visitors, including hedgehogs

3. Leave some habitat

Build a pile of logs, twigs or leaves to create a larder of juicy grubs and beetles; the perfect menu items for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are also more likely to be found in gardens that have compost heaps.

Plant hedges in place of fences to provide cover for hedgehogs and other animals who can shelter underneath. Hedgehog – it’s in the name!

Promoting a diversity of plants, particularly British natives such as hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose and honeysuckle, not only benefits wider biodiversity but will also provide food plants for caterpillars; another favourite of hedgehogs.

• Plant a mixed native hedge for wildlife

​4. Provide food

It’s worth providing some hedgehog food even if you’re not sure your garden is home to these prickly visitors. This is especially important in early autumn, when hedgehogs need to fatten up to get them through their long, cold winter hibernation.

Try putting out tinned meaty dog or cat food. If you’re worried about cats or foxes taking the food, place it inside an upturned box with an entrance hole cut out.

Setting up a night-time wildlife camera will help you keep track of which animals you attract.

© Helen Bostock

Hedgehog hibernating in a log pile at RHS Bridgewater

5. Install a hedgehog house

Install one or more hedgehog houses in your garden, tucking them into a nice sheltered spot such as behind the garden shed. Go for a design which has a ‘tunnel entrance’ or internal baffle to discourage predators, such as this one, and is made of FSC-certified timber or other sturdy sustainable materials.

Site your hedgehog house in a quiet, shady spot where it won’t be disturbed, preferably facing south or east. You can cover the roof with vegetation, leaves or logs